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BHP and family please receive my deepest condolences on the loss of your husband. Grateful that he was doing what he loved. May you receive comfort and support during the days ahead. May his soul rest in peace.
Yes it made a difference.
It brought us as a family closer together. (4 of us walked together)
I pushed myself further than I had ever been before.
It made me stronger and enriched my life.
It gave me an admiration for the Spanish people and their culture.
I felt one with pilgrims from all...
We love the meseta. Try not to skip San Bol. We too walked from Pamplona. I would save one day by taking a bus into Burgos instead of walking into it. Too much pavement walking. If the meseta gets too much for you around Mansilla de Las Mulas (who knows could be the heat) you could do one more...
In South Africa there is the Pilgrimage of Hope and the Cape Camino. Both are seen as pilgrimages but pilgrims walk in a group and its more structured than the Camino Frances. There are churches along the way though most will probably be Protestant, I am uncertain about Catholic. The pilgrims...
The Cape Camino has its own identity and is not to be compared with the traditional historical Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. South Africa is in many ways a hidden gem, a beautiful country worth exploring. The Cape Camino will be well organised and more structured. It will be safe and secure...
Hi Shanee I don't know which religion you are but if you are Christian you may like to stop over at Albergue Oasis Trails run by a Dutch Christian Organisation in Villamayor de Jardin. They have mass every evening and it is very special.
There is something for everyone on the Camino. The...
We walked from Coimbra using John Brierleys guide. We wanted a longer walk and experience in Portugal otherwise one reaches the border too quickly if one starts from Porto. We were able to taste and experience far more of the Portuguese culture. I would recommend starting in Coimbra after...
The camino is mostly safe but one needs to be careful. We have personally experienced one incident of theft and the cloning of a credit card. Someone else had her sleeping bag stolen in Santiago. Most of the time we stayed in municipal or cheaper albergues.
A fanny pack / moon bag is the best...
Congratulations! My family and I did 3 caminos in 2015, 2017 and 2019, including the Camino Portuguese. It was affordable at the time and a wonderful experience which helped to bind us together. We were often lucky enough to be offered a room for 4 in an abergue. Each one walked at his own pace...
If you start in St JPdP you will have enough time to take a rest day every week or to explore the bigger towns on the Camino Frances eg Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos etc etc by spending 2 days in each. You will also have enough time to spend a few days in Santiago and possibly a week in...
This is a question I myself have pondered quite often. Can I really call myself a pilgrim? Thanks for all the wise as well as the humorous answers.
A pilgrim is One who travels light. One who seeks, and while seeking, grows.
And so much more.....
As for qualities of a pilgrim, I would venture...
Early May: better to take a light sleeping bag if you want to be warm enough at night. Even if there are blankets available I'm not sure if I would want to use them. I took a sea to summit silk liner early June and was a bit cold at night during the first week or two but I slept in my long...
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